Surface condenser



Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,718,466 PATENT oFricE,

JOHN F. IKIRGAN, @F EASTON, PENNSYLVAIA, ASSIGNOR T INGERSOLL-RAND COM- IPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 'OF NEW JERSEY SURFACE CONDENSER.

Application led November 2, 1927. Serial No. 230,554.

the steam to bel distributed to all parts ot the condenser for the purpose of producing equal dept-h of steam penetration through- Yout the various parts of the condenser and `t'or distributing steam to the various parts of the condenser in proportion to the thermal or steam condensing capacit-y of the cooling tubes. More specifically it is an object of the invention 'to enable equal or any desired depth ot' penetration to be obtained in that type of condenser in which the air devaporization is provided for by an internal air cooler and devaporizer.

` Other objects and advantages of the invention will bein part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. y f

In the drawing forming part of the specitication and in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a condenser constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention, this section being taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 2, and looking in thel direction ot the arrows, and

Figure 2 is a. cross section of the condenser taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction ot the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the condenser in this instance comprises a -shell or casing A having a steam inlet B and outlets C and D for condensate remote from the steam inlet B. Within the shell A are arranged a plurality of steam condensing tubes E arranged transverse the direction of steam flow, the tubes E being sealed at their ends in suitable tube sheets F at either end of the vcasing A. Cooling water is fed to the tubes E from an inlet water box G associated with one of the tube sheets F and such cooling water is removed at a discharge water bo'x H at the opposite end of the shell and associated with the other tube sheet F.

This condenser is preferably of the single pass type in which the Water flows through the tubes E in a single direction and is not returned to the tubes beforev having been cooled.

In such condensers it is evident that those sections nearer the inlet water box have greater steam condensing capacity than, those nearer the discharge water box, it being obvious that the Warmer the Water in the cooling tubes the less the steam condensing capacity.` The tendency in the 'usual condenser is for the steam to penetrate less deeply in the coolerfsections than in* the warmer sections, since inthe former the steam is condensed more quickly, due to the cooler tube surface. This condition tends to produce areas at the cooler end of the condenser, which are not utilized for condensing steam, since the steam normally will not reach to these areas before condensation. This invention has the advantage of providing means for drawing the steam to equal depths of penetration throughoutthe length of the condenser so as to utilize all of the cooling surface. To this end the condenser is divided into a yplurality of lcompartments by transverse partitions J, in this instance three in number, thereby dividing the condenser intoy four compartments substantially sealed from each other near the bottom of the condenser so as to prevent leakage tromV one compartment to the other in regions adjacent the condensate outlets C and D which in this i-nstance is the region at which air and uncondensibles are removed from the main condensing compartments. The condenser in this embodiment of the invention is provided with an air cooling and devaporizing section within the shell A having walls K which converge upwardly. The Walls K preferably form a wide opening at the'lowest row ot tubes E adjacent the entrance which here is adjacent to the condensate outlet also and the space `between the walls is provided with cooling tubes L for devaporizing the air passing therethrough. The dcvaporizing section extends the length ot the condenser and is also divided into compartments'by partitions O which may be formed integrally, if desired, with the partitions JV. The compartments thus formed arepreterably sealed from each other and communicate with the corresponding compartments of the main condenser formed by the artitions J which seal the said main con enser compartments from each other-in the regions adjacent the entrancesl to` the devaporizing compartments of the devaporing section. In this instance the entrances to the devaporizing compartments are at the space below the last rows of tubes E and L. At the apex of each devaporizing section compartment is provided an airoutlet P connected by means of a'pipe Q leading preferably through the side of the casing A to suitable evacuating apparatus such has the `steam jets R.

As shown in this instance, there are two condensate outlets C `and D, each serving two compartments. The two cooler compartments are connectedl by a hydrostatic` trap S and the two warmer compartment-s are similarly provided with a trap T. Thus the condensate formed in the coolest eompartment may flowinto the next coolest 4compartment through the trap S from which sponding steam jet R and so on to the last` compartment within which still less vacuum is provided for drawing .the steam to the last row ottubes E. 1 Thus by the above construction are accomplished, among others, thel objects hereinbefore referred to.

- I claim: f Y

l. A steam condenser comprising a'shell having an inlet for steam and an outlet for condensate, a plurality of steam condensing tubes` transverse -to the direction of steam flow, a partition in said condenser dividing the casing into aplurality of compartments of different steam condensing capacity, a devaporizing section for air and .uncondensible' gases communicating with said compartments, said devaporizing' sec- Spect to the path of t-he steam ilow within the casing, a plurality of partitions trans-l verse to the cooling tubes to form compartments substantially/ sealed from each other lnear the condensate outlet, an air and uncondensible gas devaporizing section within said condenser having walls converging upwardly, air outlet-s at the apex of said devaporizing section, said devaporizing section being divided into compartments by said partitions, corresponding to the com partments of said casing, and separate evacuating means associated with the air outlets of said compartments of the devaporizing section.

3. A steam condenser comprising a shell having an inlet for steam and an outlet for condensate, a plurality of steam condensing tubes transverse to the direction of steam flow, a condensing section a devaporizing section for air and uncondensible gases within the shell and having an air outlet, a partition within the shell dividing J:he condensing section into main condensing compartments and dividing the devaporizing section into devaporizing `compartments corresponding to the main condensing compartments, said partition sealing the main condensin compartments from cach other at the reglon of the entrances to the devaporizing compartments, and means for producing different vacuums in the various devaporizing compartments.

In testimonywhereof I have signed this specification.

JOHN F; KIRGAN. 

